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Hey guys just wanna start by saying thank you for reading and replying to this post. i am new to these forums and was looking for some advice. i recently graduated with a degree in biology. A month ago i started working at a local hospital, which gave me an opportunity to shadow a PA and after having shadowed various other medical professionals i have decided to become a PA. I guess that was the easy part lol. i didn't really focus on my education during undergrad and as a result graduated with a 2.508 cumulative GPA. i havent taken the GRE yet and i know there is no way i am getting in to a PA program with my current gpa no matter what i get on my GRE. so i guess my question is do i have any options if any to improve my gpa so i can be competitive for PA school? the community college near my home town has a nursing program that starts in fall and i think i have a good chance at getting in. so i was thinking of applying and becoming a RN first and then applying to PA schools. while in the nursing program i work as a CNA to fulfill the direct patient care experience that PA schools require and improve my gpa at the same time. Do you guys think this a good option? Do i have any other options? I am sorry about the lengthy post any advice that you guys can offer would be well appreciated.

 

Thank you

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Hi,

I am a registered x-ray tech and ultrasound tech applying to PA school for next year.

I would suggest radiology technology school instead of RN because they have 2 year programs that are hospital based. You do not get a degree but a certificate and take a national exam upon graduation to become registered. It's GREAT patient care experience and not as long as nursing school. Check out this website for the programs. https://www.arrt.org/Education/Educational-Programs. I enjoyed my program and decided to go to ultrasound school after which was an additional year. The rad tech school is an allied health profession that combines classroom and clinicals from the beginning. You may do one month of class then start clinicals. Also, if you need to increase your GPA you could possibly take some online college courses during the rad tech program. Hope this helps. :)

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I am seeing ultrasound really storming the medical scene in a HUGE number of applications. Ultrasound guided placement of all sorts of needles/lines, evaluation of a wide variety of organs...seems like every time I pick up an article it's about ultrasound being used for something new. Having a background in that will do you well in the future of medicine. No radiation, painless..just hard to decipher for the untrained eye. I do plan on attending some classes in trying to figure out how to read them.

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You can certainly improve your GPA by taking more classes, but if you do the number crunching.. you'd be amazed by how many hours you have to take to raise your GPA in the slightest. Example: in my situation, I have 124 credit hours currently, and to raise my GPA by 0.2 points, I'd have to take AND make straight A's in over 130 credit hours. That's like 4 more years of school. To raise by 0.2. Crazy, huh?

 

Getting into an RN/Rad Tech program is a great idea. The classes you take won't only help out your GPA but will ultimately support your HCE experience.

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Two things: 1. If the rad tech program isn't an accredited school, the classes you'd be taking would not factor in to your GPA. 2. Even nursing and rad are competivite, I'd doubt you would get in with a 2.5 for either of those programs. Best thing for you to do would be to retake PA/allied health prereqs as a nondegree seeking student to improve your GPA so you could get into an allied health program; then take it from there.

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